Of Dares and Punishments
by Blood Red Kisses
Summary: It's Christmas at the Jeffersonian and Angela has a trick up her sleeve. What chaos will ensue when she dares each of the men to do something they never thought they'd ever agree to?


Hello, all! This is my second installment of my obsession pairing Zack/Brennan. I don't know what it is about them that I just love so much...But they are soooo cute!

I have no clue how this came about. I think the plot bunny struck me after reading someone else's fic about Angela getting the guys to compete for King of the Lab. But I loved this idea and it wouldn't go away, so I had no choice but to type it out. Heh heh.

So again, hopefully no one seems too out of character...It's my second Bones fic and I'm still trying to perfect their personalities...

Also I have no clue when this is set. I guess imagine season one if Sweets was there. It was going to be season one originally, but having Goodman here would be...weird...Plus I don't think he'd humor Angela like Sweets would. So whatever you like...

Aaaaand, I'm not very good at writing kiss scenes and this is actually probably among the first that I really went into detail with...So be nice...

Hope you enjoy! And reviews are appreciated!

* * *

It was a very difficult task for Angela to get all the men of the Jeffersonian in the same room together. But after running around like a chicken with its head cut off, she finally gathered Booth, Hodgins, Zack, and Sweets together in her office.

"What are we here for, Angela?" Booth impatiently looked at his watch.

"Okay, there's a Christmas party going on upstairs, and after a LOT of convincing, Brennan _will_ be there." She smirked as she took a sip of her eggnog. "Now, I have a challenge for you men."

Each of them had a different reaction to this. Booth still looked impatient, Zack looked curious, Hodgins looked excited, and Sweets looked slightly worried.

Angela giggled at their expressions. "My challenge to you men of the Jeffersonian is this: Kiss Brennan." She swore all of their jaws had hit the floor cartoon style. "Now there are some rules to this."

"Wait, wait, wait." Hodgins had his hands in the air. "You want one of us to _kiss_ Doctor Brennan?"

Angela nodded. "That's the idea."

"This is _crazy_! How much have you had to drink?"

"Hodgins, I'm pretty sober. I've been plotting this for a week, just so you know. Anyways, the idea is to kiss Brennan full on the lips. I don't care how you do it, but I have to see it. You can get her drunk, get her under the mistletoe, or just kiss and run. I don't care. BUT, there are bonus points if she kisses back. You all have to do it at some point tonight, and if you fail, there's a penalty."

The men continued their stares of disbelief.

"Also, the first one to kiss her wins a prize." She smirked. "The prize and penalties shall be left to your imaginations, as will the bonus. But I promise you, it will be a really good bonus. Oh, and if you manage to kiss her first _and_ get her to kiss back, you're already the 'winner' and get to chose penalties for the others."

Angela's smirk never once faded as she explained the rules of her little challenge.

"Don't you think this will end in us all being killed tonight?" Sweets managed to choke out.

Angela shrugged. "Who knows? But I've been _dying_ to see something like this for a while. Come on, people! It's Christmas! Enjoy the Christmas spirit!"

"If by 'Christmas spirit' you mean death…"

"Okay. Lose if you wanna, Booth. I guess you guys aren't _man enough_ to take this challenge." And Angela had just said the magic words. Challenge a man's masculinity and you can get him to do _anything_ just to prove you wrong.

"We're in!" Booth and Hodgins glared at each other. Sweets still looked a little worried. And Zack...Angela could swear she saw a small smile on his face.

The child prodigy nodded. "I also accept your challenge and its terms."

Sweets shrugged his shoulders. "I guess I have no choice, then. Okay…Well, it was nice knowing you guys."

The group separated and each of the guys was thinking of a way to get the socially inept forensic anthropologist to kiss him. Angela discreetly made her way over to her best friend and decided that if one of the rules was for her to see the kiss, she should stick with Brennan tonight.

Booth had decided on the mistletoe. It was an age old Christmas tradition and it was bound to succeed.

He managed to steer Brennan under the small plant and grinned at her.

"Hey, look at that, Bones. Mistletoe."

"Uh-huh, I see that." Booth raised his eyebrows at her. "Oh come now, Booth. You're not going to follow that childish ritual of kissing under the mistletoe, are you?"

He nodded sheepishly. "It's Christmas, Bones. Enjoy the Christmas spirit!" He mentally smacked himself when he realized that's exactly what Angela had said about the kiss-challenge.

She shook her head and smiled. "This is ridiculous." But she leaned in and kissed him anyways.

The only problem…

She kissed his cheek.

Booth let a long string of curses fill his thoughts.

"There. Are you content?"

Booth forced a smile as Angela cracked up laughing. "Sure, Bones…"

They conversed a little more before Booth headed out to think of other ways to get Brennan to kiss him.

Hodgins decided he'd try the ever popular 'accidental kiss'.

He strung a wire through a doorway he knew Brennan had to walk through. And just as he had hoped, when she walked through, she didn't notice the wire and promptly tripped right over it. Hodgins ran to catch her, aiming his face towards hers.

But this wasn't like it was in the popular movies where their lips were supposed to meet. Their foreheads had instead met one another and made a loud cracking noise. Brennan threw her hands against her forehead and rubbed it.

"Ow…" She stood upright and opened one eye. "Hodgins? What did I trip over?" She looked behind her and saw the small string. "Who would put that there?" She looked confused.

"I have no idea, Doctor Brennan, but I'll just...move it…so no one else trips…" Hodgins glared at the string. This was supposed to be his saving grace, but instead it had only hurt him and Brennan.

And once again, Angela found herself laughing at her boys' misfortune.

"Angela, what's going on? Hodgins and Booth are acting very weird, Sweets has been avoiding me, and I haven't seen Zack anywhere." Angela smiled at how oblivious her friend was.

"I have no idea, Sweetie. Maybe they're all drunk. You never know with men."

"They didn't seem drunk, just…"

"Don't worry about them, Sweetie! Let's go grab a drink!" Angela dragged Brennan towards the eggnog.

Sweets decided this was his opportune moment. He thought maybe he could spike Brennan's drink. It was a long shot, but he hopped it'd work.

"Here you two go." Sweets handed Brennan and Angela each a drink. "I saw you making your way over here and figured I'd go ahead and nab your drinks." He smiled nervously and hoped they'd drink them. Only Brennan's was the spiked one, but he got one for Angela as well so not to look suspicious.

"Thank you, Sweets. This was very considerate of you." Brennan gave him a small smile.

Angela grinned. "Good one, Sweets."

Angela took a sip of her drink and that prompted Brennan to take a sip as well.

Brennan's face scrunched up in disgust. "This tastes awful! Did someone put something in the eggnog?"

Sweets gave Angela a pleading look and she rolled her eyes.

"Probably. Mine tastes pretty bad too." The two girls tossed their drinks in the trash bin next to the table.

Angela shot Sweets a look of pity and mouthed, "Nice try."

She and Brennan headed back over to the dance floor, well, it was more like Angela dragged Brennan to the dance floor, and the two began dancing.

Sweets sighed and slinked off to do more thinking.

It was nearing midnight, the time the party was scheduled to end, and so far none of the boys had managed to get a kiss out of Brennan. Sweets, Hodgins, and Booth had been trying the entire party, and Brennan was beginning to get suspicious.

Hodgins made his way over to Zack, who was seated at one of the tables in the back.

"Zack, you haven't tried once. Why not?"

Zack's arms were crossed. "Watching your failures is quite amusing."

Hodgins deadpanned him. "That's not really an answer."

"I'm observing Doctor Brennan's interactions with everyone."

Hodgins sighed at Zack. "So you're going to go this whole night without trying? You're just giving up before you even try? That's not like you, man."

Zack shook his head. "I never implied I had given up. I was simply waiting for the perfect opportunity, not that such a thing really exists, but it's all in the timing. You told me that once."

Hodgins looked in the direction Zack had been staring. Another failed attempt for Booth as Brennan walked right past him.

Finally Zack stood and made his way over to Brennan.

"Excuse me, Doctor Brennan. May I have a word?"

She smiled. "Of course, Zack. I haven't seen you all night."

Angela watched quietly, curious as to what Zack had planned.

"I'm sure you have noticed that Hodgins, Agent Booth, and Doctor Sweets have all been acting quite peculiar." Brennan nodded. "Angela had approached us earlier this night and had requested us to complete a challenge she had presented us with. She had wanted us to each try to kiss you and a prize she had not specified would be awarded to the one who succeeded."

Brennan let a small laugh escape her mouth. "That explains a lot."

Zack nodded. "Yes, Doctor Brennan. Also, bonus points were promised to the one who got you to kiss back or kiss him first, which is why they've been trying to get you to kiss them. But to be quite honest, I believed it rude to kiss you without your permission. Whether you consent or not, I'd rather ask you then attempt a 'kiss and run' as Angela called it."

"Well, thank you Zack. Your consideration and honesty is very much appreciated."

Booth and Hodgins both glared at Zack for ruining the last few chances they had, and Sweets actually looked quite relieved.

Brennan took a step closer to Zack, slowly wrapped her arms around his waist, and leaned up to kiss him. It was a slightly awkward kiss for Zack as he didn't have much experience kissing people. But despite that fact, this was very exciting for him. Brennan's lips were warm and soft as they pressed against his and he was close enough to her to smell her strawberry scented shampoo.

But what he hadn't expected was for her to slip her tongue into his mouth. His eyes widened slightly as her tongue gently brushed against his, but he just stood there and allowed her to lead. She tasted of chocolate and eggnog and something else he couldn't quite describe. He slowly closed his eyes again and carefully let his tongue explore her. He had been kissed before, but this was still very new to him, so he took this opportunity to explore every curve and crevice her mouth had to offer.

Booth, Hodgins, Sweets, and Angela all gaped at the scene before them.

When Brennan finally pulled back, she smiled at Zack's flushed face. She then turned to Angela.

"Was that a satisfactory kiss, Angela?"

"Wow, Sweetie, I am totally turned on right now." She laughed. "Yes, that was. And Zack, not only did _she_ kiss first, you also got tongue! Instant win there, kiddo!" Angela smacked her hand against Zack's back. She grinned mischievously. "So what punishment do you have planned for the losers?"

The three 'losers' all looked in horror at the slowly smiling Doctor Zack Addy.

"I haven't quite decided, Angela."

* * *

Hope this wasn't too weird...Zack/Brennan is such a cute pairing, but it's hard to write because Zack (And Brennan, for that matter) is so socially awkward and neither of them flirt and it's so hard to just get them together! *Whines* But until someone much better than me writes a 'together' fic for them, you'll just have to suffer through my stuff! Hah hah....


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